The Search For Haku
by animeluver4ever
Summary: CH 7 UP Chihiro is 15 years old, school just ended, and she's having nightmares of Haku dissapearing. Is Haku really in trouble, or is she just looking for an excuse to go back to the Spirit World and see him?
1. Thinking of Haku

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or anything related to it. I'm just some crazy fan. ^.^ Oh, but I do own a copy of the movie. Does that count? By the way, this disclaimer is for this chapter and future chapters.

Well, hoooooow-day! How ya'll doin'? Well, I have decided to make another fan ficcie. Actually two. One for Spirited away, and one for Princess Mononoke. ^_^ Heehee. Okie dokie, I think I shall tell you a little about the story now…it'll be like a year after the movie, and I think that's like all the info you need…

Oh, by the way, I'm quite sure that I'll do something wrong, so please tell me when I do. ^.^ Thankies.

The Search For Haku

Thinking of Haku

Chapter 1

She felt the water rushing by her, her hands on firm horns, the scaly body slithering under her. She was 6 again, in the Kohaku River. Now she felt air. She was in the sky again, that magical moment when she said, "You're the Kohaku River!"  And then Haku shattered right under her, they held hands while falling, his eyes, sparkling. That sparkling she'll never, ever forget, no matter what. 

_Now she was somewhere totally different. She felt fear surrounding her, that awful coldness creeping up her spine, her body shivering. It was dark, damp, cold, deserted… She was in a bare, black forest. Red eyes gleamed everywhere. _"Wake up body!" _she screamed, but nothing came out. Then she saw Haku, so badly hurt, and a maniacal laugh, taunting her. She ran to him, lifting his head, tears streaming down her face. _

_'Haku, don't die, please…' she begged. _

_'Ch-Chihiro…' He suddenly smiled wickedly, and started turning into a black ghost, mouth opened and making a horrible beeping sound that got louder by the minute. _

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP Chihiro turned off her alarm clock, sweating and shaking. She dreamt about Haku again…

"Haku is a spirit, I will never see him again…" She said to herself. She rubbed her eyes. They were wet. 

"Oh, I was crying again?!" She whispered angrily. Chihiro wiped her eyes and sat up. Her eyes felt puffed from crying, and this was not good, as it was the first day of school. Except now she was going to a new school. A different one: High School. She had just gotten used to her last year's school, and now there was a second school yet to be memorized. It had been just over a 4 years since her departure from the Spirit World…

"Chihiro, get up, I don't want you to be late." Chihiro's mother said through the door. 

"Yes mom!" She was glad her mom had not come in, it would have been embarrassing to be seen crying.

An hour later… 

Chihiro walked down the sidewalk, taking in the morning sun. She looked up suddenly, and saw the entrance to the Spirit World. She stopped. Her feet urged to run through there and go see Haku, but she knew that probably wouldn't happen, and that she would be in trouble for missing school. She turned and resumed her walk to school, feeling sad and empty. 

She had to do this every day, for school. By the middle of the school year she was starting to walk up the path that goes to the Spirit World and sliding down the hill to get back to the sidewalk. In a way, she felt closer to Haku by doing that. 

Her mother, of course, was furious at her for getting her shoes dirty.

"Chihiro, you stop getting them dirty, or I will have to DRIVE you to school, and that will just make everyone grumpy!" She threatened.

Of course, Chihiro was never late; she also wanted to spend extra time thinking of him. She sometimes stopped at the entrance and stared down the magical tunnel, but never went into it, but she wanted to. The wind never really persuaded her these days. She constantly had the same dream, though, the end always being different, always making her sweat and shiver. It was always bad. Chihiro also felt that if she went to the tunnel entrance then that reassured her that Haku was all right. 

The end of school was coming, summer was almost here, her dreams we becoming more vivid, more intense. Now it was beginning to bug her. She didn't get that satisfied feeling anymore at the tunnel, it was more of a I need to go see what's up feeling. Now the urge to go back there was getting bigger every day, and it was getting more irresistible. 

A week after school had ended, Chihiro had the same dream. This time, Haku had actually begged for her to go back to Spirit World and help him. He desperately needed it. He put out his hand; Chihiro reached for it but just couldn't seem to grab it. Her hand either suddenly jerked back or it became slippery. Chihiro finally got his hand, but then fell forward into a bottomless pit. "HAKUUUUUUU!" She screamed. The pit suddenly became the black ghost, and he swallowed her…

Chihiro woke up, shivering and terrified. "H-Haku…" She whispered. She felt tears well up in her eyes. They streamed down onto her pillow, where Chihiro had buried her face there, whispering his name, thinking of him badly hurt and bleeding with a thousand cuts and slashes. 

She suddenly sat up. She got dressed into her most comfortable clothes, and got ready to go out. Pulling on her shoes, she said: "Haku, today is the day I begin my search for you."

I know it was short, but I decided to stop here to give you guys a cliffhanger. I love ending on cliffhangers, tis so much fun! Anyways, please review! A review is sort of like a motivation for me or a sign that people are reading and enjoying my story; so I should continue. *wink wink nudge nudge* Plus a review also makes me write the next chapter faster. ^. ~ 


	2. Enter the Spirit World

*Squeals* I got 5 reviews! Goody! I'm so happy! Thanks guys!

Note: Anything italicized is a person's thought. Just thought I ought to mention that. 

Enter the Spirit World

Chapter 2

Chihiro tugged on her shoes and stood up. A small bag was slung over her shoulders. In the bag it held a sweater, thin blanket, extra socks, water bottle, and a box of matches. "I think I'm prepared…Oh wait!" She walked over to her desk and pulled out a pocketknife from one of the drawers. "There. Can't forget cousin Jim's pocketknife!" The pocketknife was very nice, with a lot of gadgets to be used. 

"All right, I think now I'm good…" Chihiro commented. She walked down to the door and opened it. She took a step forward and was greeted by a blast of cool air. "Haku, I'll find you no matter what." She said aloud. 

"Chihiro, is that you at the door? Com back inside and have some breakfast before you go out!" called her mother.

"Do I have to?" _Mom, you ruined my moment!!! _

"Yes."

"Why can't I just skip it today?" Chihiro called. _I want Haku!!!_

No, you need it for wherever you're going. Just come and have a little. 

"Fine." Chihiro mumbled. _She's right…_ Chihiro thought while forcing down some food. As soon as she got a look of approval from her mother she raced out of the house. Chihiro ran down the street then slowed down to a walk as she neared the gravel road. 

"Hey Chihiro!" A male voice called out. 

Chihiro whipped around and saw John. _Not now!!!_

John was on his bike and stopped next to Chihiro. "Where're you headed?"

"Uh, just walking…" Chihiro looked up at John. He was tall with soft brown hair and gentle brown eyes. He was popular at school. 

"You know, you should have tried for the cross country team, you would've done really well." John commented. 

"Well, I had other stuff." Chihiro said while forcing a smile. _Like looking down the tunnel longing for Haku…_

John grinned back. He had a really goofy grin, like a little boys. Chihiro's stomach flipped. _He looks really cute like that…WAIT!!! I'm supposed to look for Haku, not stare at John's grin!_

"Where're you going?" Chihiro asked. 

"To work…and I better get going before I'm late. See ya, Chihiro." John answered. 

"Yeah, later…." She watched him disappear around the corner, and then sprinted up the gravel road. 

_I'm sorry Haku! _

Chihiro ran and walked for 15 minutes going up the gravel road. She finally saw the tunnel. She felt a rush of excitement. She ran all the way to and through the tunnel. She looked around and saw the familiar church-like place. She ran through it into the expected green fields. Instead she ran straight into a large rock and fell down.

She picked herself up and looked around. This was _not the way to the bathhouse of Yubaba's. The place was cold, and very rocky with little plant life. "W-where am I?" She questioned aloud. She felt a chilly wind brush against her, and took out her sweater from her bag. _

"This isn't where I'm supposed to be!" She yelled out loud. She turned around to go back, but there was nothing!

"WHAT?!?!" She looked and turned frantically, tears welling in her eyes. She finally just collapsed on the ground, tears trickling down her cheeks. 

"What am I gonna do? I don't know where I am, and Haku needs help." She complained. 

In the distance Chihiro heard a train. Her eyes popped open and she quickly got up. She dried the tears from her face and looked over the top of a rock and sure enough she saw a train, barely on the horizon. She looked at the distance and saw a little rectangle where the train stopped. 

"That must be a train station. And that train must go by Yubaba's Bath House…So I'll have to go there." She looked at the distance between the train station and her. "OMG that must be like 15 miles! And it all so rocky too… I guess I better get going." She said as the train disappeared out of her sight. 

As she descended from the rocky hill, the sun disappeared off the horizon. "It's getting dark. I better be careful."

It was hard for her to see, let alone find good foot holds and avoid pits. She decided to take a rest on a rock, and took out her water bottle. She took a sip of water and then looked ahead of her. While deciding where to step next, she felt cold steel on her neck and small but strong hands grab her arm. 

"If you move, I'll slit your throat." Said a firm female voice. 

So how was that? ^^ I love leaving you guys at cliffhangers. That's what I always do in my stories. Sometimes I'll leave you with a sweet, happy end and others I'll stop right in the middle of action. 

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	3. Mokona

I KNOW!!!! I KNOW!! I haven't updated in THE longest time. I'm REALLY sorry! I will finish the story though. I promise. ^^ I'm horrible person, flame me all you want! I've just been busy, that's it. It's horrible of me to just blow you off like that… Here's the story. ^^;

Mokona

Chapter 3

Fear twisted Chihiro's stomach. 

"I suggest that you don't move at all while I look for something on you." The girl said. She lifted Chihiro's shirt a little. She felt around her hips and waist, feeling for something. Chihiro shivered at her touch and the coldness. Then the girl let go of her. 

"Look at me." Chihiro turned and looked at the girl. She was a young teenage girl, with light brown hair down to her shoulders, and intense green-yellow eyes. She had fuzzy ears like a cat, and seemed to have sharper teeth than normal humans and claw-like nails. "Well, it doesn't look like you're a bad guy, so I'll let ya go. Now go." The girl replied. She had stern, steady face on.

"Wait, could you tell me where I am, and why you just felt me up like that?"

The girl looked confused, yet understanding. "You're in the foothills of the Corum Mountains. And I was looking for a mark on you, to see if you were a follower of Shoto."

Chihiro looked thoroughly confused. The girl sighed. "It looked like you needed help. You aren't from around here, are you?" Chihiro nodded her head no. "Ok, we'll begin with introductions…I'm Mokona! I'm just a transporter, always looking for adventure!" 

"Oh…I'm Chihiro, and I'm looking for someone. I'm actually from the other world…"

Mokona gasped. "You mean, like, the real, real world?!"

"Um, yeah."

"Th-then how do you know about this world, the Spirit World?!" Mokona asked, alarmed, and sort of backing away from Chihiro.

"W-well, you see, I've been here before. I stumbled upon this world like 5 years ago, when I was 10. I met this guy, Haku, or maybe Kohaku, because he was the river spirit of the Kohaku River. So we did a bunch of stuff then I went back to the real world and now I'm back, except I MEANT to come here this time, not by accident!" Chihiro explained. 

"All right, so…you're…AAAAIIIEEEEEE!!! YOU'RE TRANSPARENT!" Mokona screamed. 

"Wha-AAAAGH!" Chihiro screamed. She had forgotten about this little part. "Ok ok, um, Haku gave me something to eat, and I became myself again! Um…WHERE'S SOME FREAKIN FOOD?!" Chihiro screamed, frantic.

"HERE!" Mokona yelled, shoving rice down Chihiro's throat. She choked a little, but got it down. "Whoa, I guess because Haku was there and had handled it I forgot about it…"

"Whew…that was really scary." Mokona commented. "You know, there has been some freaky stuff happening. I might know where you're 'Haku' is." 

"What kind of freaky stuff? Does it have to do with that Shoto gang?" Chihiro replied, helping herself to some rice Mokona offered. 

"Ok, I'll do my best to try and make sense of the little pub rumors, because that's what my source is." Mokona replied. "So, there's a rumor that there's some evil spirit gang going around, and they call themselves the Shoto. They're like the spirits of pollution, and as you can guess, they're polluting the Spirit World. It's almost like a reflection of the real world, where pollution is getting bad on Earth, got me? So, these gangs are just pretty much torturing other spirits, maybe you're Haku. Now, lately they've been talked about a lot. It seems they're getting even too powerful for some of the stronger spirits to fight off. Obviously, they used to be controlled here, but now they're going on a rampage. That's pretty much all I've heard, so you make sense of it." 

"It must be getting serious then, huh? But why wasn't it stopped before?" Chihiro asked.

"Nobody knows. Some say it's because someone was just feeding it, making it get stronger, and it got to hard to handle them. Sort of sucks." Mokona said, kicking a rock. 

"Right…so what are you delivering?" Chihiro asked.

"Oh, I was delivering some herbs to a really fancy bathhouse. And I was delivering a few other things, but they were 'secret', so I wasn't allowed in on it. But it was important." 

"Are you by yourself?"

"Nah, I'm meeting up with my partner later. She took the safer, longer road. We're meeting at that train station, loading everything up, and then going to some bath house."

Chihiro perked up. "What's the name of the bathhouse?" 

"Uuuuh…does it really matter? Because I forgot…"

"Yes, it matters REALLY badly!" 

"Uh…I'm not sure. I think it was Choka's bath house or something…"

"Yubaba's bathhouse?!" 

"Yeah, yeah, that's right!"

"Let's get going!" Chihiro yelled.

"All right!" Mokona yelled back.

And so, the 2 young ladies headed toward the train station together, not knowing just what they were going to go through.

So, there's chapter three. ^^; I hope there are still some readers…

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	4. Reunion

Yay! I got reviews! I thought nobody would review after so much time has passed. You guys are great! ^_^ 

Reunion

Chapter 4

Mokona started whistling while she and Chihiro walked toward the train station. 

"I assume you don't have a train ticket." Mokona said.

"Your assumption was correct." Chihiro answered. 

"Well, we should speed up the walk, cuz it's gonna take a while to get one. The lines are long, and it takes a while to actually get the ticket." They sped up a little, while climbing down still some more rocks and stumbling over clumps of weed that decided to grow random places. 

After about an hour, they arrived and got in line. This process took about 45 minutes, and by that time they could see a huge wagon coming up. "Hehe, that must be my partner, Nina." Commented Mokona. 

In about ten minutes Nina stopped the wagon next to them. "Hello Mokona. I see you made it out here fine." Nina had a lovely face, soft, kind voice. She seemed very quiet and kind.  "Who's that?" She asked, looking at Chihiro. 

"Oh, that's Chihiro. She wants to get to Yubaka's bathhouse. I decided to bring her along." Mokona answered. Chihiro bowed, as did Nina. "And Mokona, it's Yu_baba's_ bathhouse." Chihiro corrected. "Whatever. The train should be here soon. We better get the oxen refreshed and ready, and start preparing to get everything off." They heard a whistle in the distance. Mokona frowned. "Hmm. We're late. We better hurry. 

The unhitched the oxen and gave them water and some stuff to eat, and got them ready to board the train. They began unloading the wagon, just as the train pulled in. Nina loaded the oxen, while Chihiro helped Mokona. Some other men helped Mokona too, who worked for the train station. 

In 5 minutes they had their train cart loaded, and boarded the train. They found some seats and began chatting. 

"So, Chihiro, how old are you?" Nina asked. 

"I'm 15." Chihiro answered. 

"Where are you from?"

"Uh, Japan." She answered hesitantly.

Nina gasped. "Isn't that from the real world? Th-then how did you get into this world?" Mokona explained what Chihiro had told her, and Chihiro told both the girls what happened on her first visit. 

"Wow, you really have been through a lot." Nina commented.

"Yes, and now I want to find Haku." Chihiro then told them about her nightmares she was having during the past year. 

Nina frowned. "That's doesn't sound too good."

"Yeah, I mean, you're having dreams about the things that are happening in this world. Not good at all." Mokona said. "You're not even supposed to be in this world. And these sound pretty serious, too."

"The Shoto are gaining more power every second. They are taking spirits and converting them to their own kind. They're so out of control..."Nina said darkly.

They were all silent, pondering over this. The train stopped, and they all piled out and unloaded their cart, where it was taken to the bathhouse. Chihiro stomach twisted and flipped. She was so nervous about seeing Yubaba again. She would have preferred not to come back ever again, but she was so determined to see if Haku was all right. _I must talk to Haku!!!_

They walked to the entrance of the bathhouse. "Aw, welcome again Mokona, Nina. I see you brought our stock, thank you. You know where to go. Welcome, young la-" he stopped short, realizing who Chihiro was. "Ch-ch-chihiro! Wh-what a pleasant surprise! I never expected to see you again. What are you doing here? Are you with Nina and Mokona?" 

"Uh, I'll just go with Mokona and Nina." Chihiro said quickly. She helped Mokona and Nina. They all wiped off the sweat off their heads from the steam from the baths and the carrying. 

"Ok, let's go collect our money from Yubaba." Nina said. "Chihiro, um, you can stay down here."

"Well, actually, I needed to talk to Yubaba too." 

"Oh, well then, do you know the way? I mean, you should know the way around, if you can remember." Mokona said. Chihiro nodded her head and led the way, going up the elevators. They came to the grand doors, and knocked. The doors opened, and they walked in, finding their way through the halls, and finally to her office. 

"Well, if it isn't you three again." Yubaba said, without looking up from her work. 

"Here you are girls, your payment. There's a little extra for Chihiro too. Just a few coins, not much. And Chihiro, why are you here again? You have no business here, unless you'd like to work here again. I see you've matured quite a bit, but who wouldn't?" Yubaba said.

Chihiro noticed Yubaba was a bit kinder, but not much. "Well, actually I was wondering if I could talk to Haku."

Yubaba looked up with a hard expression on her face. "He's left this place. After you were safely in your own world, he declared he was going to be taking a year or two off, exploring this land. I haven't seen his filthy face since. And I hope I don't ever do either."

"Oh, well then I have no business here, unless I could talk to Lin (or Rin, whichever it is. In my story she is Lin. –animeluver4ever) for a few minutes." Chihiro commented. 

"Yes, she'll be having a break soon, you can talk to her then. Now get out of here." Yubaba waved them away, but they heard a cry from the next room. 

Chihiro's eyes widened at the toddler that came out. She didn't know if she should be glad to see him again, or if she should be fearful of his great figure. She decided to seem glad to see him, after she saw his expression. 

"Chihiro!" The humungous toddler cried. (Um, I don't know what the baby's name is, I don't think they mentioned it in the movie, or I missed it. So he's going to be referred to as 'him' or 'he' and stuff like that. –animeluver4ever).

After a somewhat frightful reunion, and Mokona and Nina standing there, gawking at the huge toddler, they hurried down to talk to Lin. Chihiro spotted her, and called out her name. Lin stopped, saw Chihiro and went running to her. 

"Oh, Chihiro, how _are_ you? I haven't seen you in so long! Oh, you've matured so much! But what are you doing back here? There isn't anything special here..." 

"Well, I came to talk to Haku and you." Chihiro answered. Lin beamed. Chihiro and Lin (who was trying to compose herself back to the tough girl again) talked, while Mokona and Nina silently looked around at the magnificent building. 

"Well, I wish I could come, but I'm stuck here the rest of my life." Lin said. 

"Ok. Well, before I leave to the other world, I'll try to see you again." 

"Ok, take care!" Lin said, hugging Chihiro. They waved good-bye, and the three girls walked out together.

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I hope you enjoyed this chapter! This is my Christmas present to you! (or, if you don't celebrate Christmas, it's just a present! ^_^) Happy Holidays!!!

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	5. The Mysterious Man

The Mysterious Man

Chapter 5

Mokona yawned. She and Chihiro were sitting in the back of the hay wagon. Nina was up front driving the oxen on. Mokona yawned again, showing her sharp teeth to Chihiro. She stretched out her hands, revealing claw-like nails. Chihiro hoped she would never have to battle Mokona. 

"So, you got any weapons or anything that you can defend yourself with?" Mokona asked. 

Chihiro nodded her head no. 

"Hmm...You should probably get some sort of weapon, like a big stick to hike with and defend yourself. Hey Nina! Let's get her some sort of defense weapon, ok?"

Nina nodded her head, and started to head toward a town. They arrived in an hour, and went to a general store and bought a staff. It was a nice height, sturdy, and looked _very_ difficult to break. And it wasn't too heavy either, another plus. 

"Um, ok, so now where are we headed?" Nina asked.

"Uh, heh heh, that's a good question. I don't exactly know where Haku is, or where I'm going." Chihiro said.

*Nina and Mokona fall anime style* 

"CHIHIRO!!! You're supposed to know this kind of stuff!!! Didn't he like give you a name or at least a hint?!" Mokona asked.

"Oh come on, Mokona. She hasn't been here that long, she couldn't know what the exactly she was getting herself into." Nina assured.

Mokona sighed. "All right. But we should probably go somewhere to get some information. It would help us get going to someplace...by the way, I'm starving! Can we eat somewhere?"

"Sure. I saw a place down the street from here, it looked pretty good." Nina mentioned. 

"Ok, lets go." Chihiro replied.

The three girls went into the restaurant and had their lunch, and while finishing up their drinks they heard some men mumble something about some demon attack down the road.

"We should probably check it out, it might lead to the Shoto gang." Mokona said. The two other girls nodded their heads in agreement, and were off in a few minutes.

As they traveled down the road (the left the wagon and ox at the town behind them), they noticed it getting a little colder and the air a little harder to breath, and stinky.

It was a familiar smell to Chihiro, of car exhaust and other types of smoke.

"This stuff stinks." Mokona said while covering her mouth in disgust. Nina agreed, and covered her mouth as well. 

"It smells like home to me." Chihiro replied.

"Oh yeah, the real world probably smells like this all over the place, huh? Don't you guys know any other ways to get around other than those pollution-factory cars?" Mokona asked.

"No, it's the main transportation, and even if we did find a new way, it would still take a long time for it to be accepted, and used widely over the world. It'd take at least 20 years, maybe even more. But I do agree, it would definitely help the environment."

A second later Nina started coughing. 

"Nina!!" they both yelled, springing to her side. But before they even got within a foot of her, she disappeared. 

They heard an evil cackle and looked up into a creepy, bare black tree. Before them stood hunched a human-like figure, but his body black with purple smoke coming from it, tiny red eyes, and poisonous claws.

Mokona growled at the demon and bared her teeth at him, her claws extended, ready to attack any second.

"Let go of her, you filthy demon!" Mokona screamed at the demon.

"Let her go!" Chihiro yelled, readying her staff.

The demon grinned wickedly, baring his teeth at them, purple saliva dripping from his mouth. Mokona began to advance. Suddenly, he wasn't grinning anymore, and had more of a surprised look on his face, and falling off the tree. They saw Nina disappear then reappear on the ground, being let down gently by a young man, who looked to be no older than 17. 

More demons appeared, and Mokona and Chihiro went back to back. "It looks like there's a lot of them!!!" Chihiro screamed.

"I can handle most of them. You gonna be all right?" Mokona asked.

"I think I can do this." Chihiro answered, feeling the adrenaline rush. "Let's do this!" Mokona yelled as she sprung towards an enemy, slashing away. Chihiro swung her staff wildly, but managed to get a few good hits on one demon. She beat the living daylights out of another, and was beginning to advance on another when a burst of white light flashed, blinding everyone. They were several heart-stopping screams, then silence as the light faded.

Nina sat at the base of a tree, clutching her heart. A few feet away from her was the young man, with a serene look on his face as the light subsided into his hand. Mokona got up from the ground, rubbing her eyes.

"What the hell was that?" Mokona groaned.

"Who is that guy?" Chihiro asked Mokona, as they watched him help a terrified Nina up. They advanced towards him.

"Who are you?" Chihiro asked, as Nina went by Mokona's side.

"I am Drake. Who are you?" He said. He was incredibly tall, and towered over them all. He had jet-black hair, with steely gray-blue eyes, and black clothing. 

"I'm Chihiro, and this is Mokona, and you saved Nina."

"Thank you very much." Nina said and bowed deeply.

Drake smiled a sweet smile that made all of the girls' hearts skip a beat. "It was no problem."

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Ok, I know, it's been almost two months since I last updated...I'm really sorry about that...but all my school work has been keeping me busy, and I have BAD procrastination habits...and I also sort of had writers block, because I didn't know how to get this new guy introduced, and I'm also having another story in mind, it will be at fictionpress, so my head has been thinking of that particular story. But I'm first going to finish this one and my other story before I even start the other one.

Anyways, hope the chapter was good, I hope some are still reading this, and if you are, would you please review? It would be so helpful, because I believe right now I'm getting into a new writing style, so it would really help to have some constructive criticism now.


	6. Drake

Well...I've been quite busy lately, really. The end of the year is coming up, and I've got so many finals coming up and lots of projects I've got to do, it's not even funny! But, school ends in June, so I'll be able to write more. This story is nearly a year old, did you know that? I'm sorry it's been so slow! I'd really like to thank the people who have been really patient with me and my very slow self. Anyways, enough babbling, let's get on with the chapter...  
  
Drake  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Drake, the tall, black haired man, steely blue eyes, looked everyone in the eye, as if looking for something.  
  
Mokona looked him up and down. "I've never seen you before. And you look like a powerful spirit, you know." Mokona said, crossing her arms.  
  
Chihiro stared at him, and then went over to Nina, whose face was as red as the setting sun.  
  
"You don't need to know anything about me." Drake answered.  
  
Mokona raised an eyebrow, then replied, "Ok then, we can go now. Thanks for helping us, really, but we need to get going." She then grabbed Chihiro's and Nina's arms, then walked away.  
  
"You're going the wrong way. That's the Shoto's territory." Drake said, running in front of them and blocking them.  
  
"We're looking for somebody, we HAVE to go that way!" Mokona answered, pushing him out of the way.  
  
"Do you know how dangerous it is in there?!" Drake yelled, grabbing Mokona's arm.  
  
"Yes, I DO know! Now let go of me!" Mokona yelled back, jerking her arm. Drakes grip was tight, and was glaring at Mokona.  
  
"Hey, you guys, quit fighting!" Chihiro said.  
  
"Yeah! You guys barely know each other, so you shouldn't fight like that!" Nina added. "Drake, why don't you stay with us a while? Mokona's always so grumpy with new people."  
  
"Nina, you know me too much." Mokona replied, grinning. She turned away from Drake, and started looking for a place to spend the night with Chihiro.  
  
Drake watched the two girls leave, and was left alone with Nina, who was looking at the sky.  
  
"The Shoto...their territory is getting bigger, isn't it?" Nina asked.  
  
"Unfortunately, yes. I have yet to figure out why. That's what I'm here for, a 'spy' you can refer to me as."  
  
Nina sighed and sat at the base of a black tree. "What would happen if the Shoto took all the land?"  
  
"I really don't know, and that's what scares me. It could have more opening to the human world, or it could kill off all the spirits, which would affect the human world. But don't take my word for it."  
  
"NIIIIIINNNNAAAA!!!!" Mokona called from a big hill. "COOOMMMEEE HEEEERRE!"  
  
"They must have found a good spot. Let's go." Nina said, getting up.  
  
They were located near the edge of a forest, with a river running into it from a mountain. The mountain, Mt. Chindou, stood glamorously. It was tall, and packed with snow at the top. There was thin cloud going through it, not quite big enough to cover the top.  
  
Chihiro munched on her sandwich Nina had made, and gazed at the mountain in front of the setting sun. It began to get chilly, so she grabbed a sweater from her bag. The air was much fresh here, and with the warmth of the fire Chihiro's eyes began to get heavy. Nina and Mokona talked, like best friends, while Drake slinked away. Chihiro saw him sneaking away, and was going to ask him where he was going but she was too tired, and quickly falling asleep...  
  
_Chihiro was walking through the purple mist again, with the familiar smell of the city; car exhaust, factory smoke, basically: pollution. She covered her nose, and walked through the barren land. She came upon a dark spot, she could barely see. She heard some voices far away, then a piercing scream.  
  
Chihiro suddenly saw it all. Haku, bloody and bruised, gasping for air, crying from the enormous pain. Chihiro felt tears come to her eyes.  
  
"I...I'm sorry Chihiro, I'm sorry I couldn't keep the promise..."  
  
"But you did, Haku, you did! I'm seeing you again."  
  
Haku smiled weakly. He extended his hand toward her, but before he could grasp her hand he was taken by the demons. "Hakuuuuu!" Chihiro yelled, tears streaming down her face.  
  
"Chihiro, I...I love you..."  
  
"Haku...Haku!!!!!!" Chihiro watched as the demons picked him up and kissed him, injecting their putrid air into his body, and watching as he slowly died.  
_  
Chihiro woke up, sobbing, in warm arms. She was being rocked back and forth, hearing the words from a soothing voice, "It's ok, he'll be all right, it's ok..."  
  
Chihiro sobbed until she fell asleep, in Drake's arms.

* * *

Morning came, and Chihiro woke up by herself, everyone was out of sight, except Nina, who looked like she was waiting for Chihiro to wake up.  
  
"Good morning, Chihiro."  
  
"Morning." Chihiro answered, rubbing her eyes. They were swelled and a bit hard from the crying last night. She took the breakfast that Nina gave her, and began to eat.  
  
"Were you dreaming about Haku last night?" Nina asked quietly. Chihiro nodded her head, and she felt the tears come as she remembered the dream.  
  
"Who is Haku? You've never told." Nina said.  
  
"Well...He's someone I met when I was a child and wandered into this world, and he made a promise that when I left that we would see each other again. Since last fall, I've been having weird dreams about him being hurt and last night he...died... in front of me." Chihiro replied, a few tears sliding down her cheek. She wiped her face, and got up.  
  
"Where's Mokona?"  
  
"Oh, she went to the river to clean herself. She should be back soon."  
  
"And where's Drake?"  
  
"He...well, I don't know. He just left early this morning, didn't say a word. But that's so like him." Nina answered with a sigh.  
  
"So..._Like_ him? Nina, do you _know_ him?"  
  
Nina laughed. "Yeah. It took me a while to realize it, but he's a childhood friend. He was my neighbor for quite a while; that was in the real world. When we grew up, he left to someplace, and I started a restaurant, and I was soooo clumsy then. I left a fire unattended, and it just burned down the whole building. Drake happened to be visiting the town and tried to save me, but we both died in the fire. We both came to the spirit world, and I guess he was put somewhere else because this is the first time I've ever seen him here."  
  
"When we were kids, he always played with me and everything, but at the same time he ignored me." Nina added. "He never truly talked with me, and we never had a really good conversation. Can you believe I was a tomboy? He got me into so many boy things; I was like one of the guys when we were young. Then when we started really growing up, he practically shut me out. I was becoming a lot girlier, so we didn't hang out much. But it's nice to know that he's cared for me all this time."  
  
"Wow. Well, that's nice to know he cares, even if he doesn't show it." Then Chihiro started smirking. "Was there any lovey-dovey stuff happening?"  
  
Nina blushed a bit. "Well, I started getting a crush on him when I was around 13, but that's about it. I acted way girlier, and that's about the time when he shut me out. But the feeling went away."  
  
Chihiro laughed. "I don't blame you. He's so cute!"  
  
Nina chuckled. "When you've known him for years, you just can't see it that way anymore, Chihiro!"  
  
"Hey girlies! We better get outta here, I think something's coming our way." Drake came rushing towards them, panting from running.  
  
"Get your stuff quickly, and where's Mokona?!" Drake added.  
  
"She's by the river." Chihiro answered, gathering everything.  
  
Drake rushed away, not knowing what would happen next...

* * *

Well, that's the chapter! I wrote this one in 2 days! Yeah! I hope it turned out well, I know where I'm going with the story; I just don't know how to get there!!! I know, it's bad. --; But that's just how I am. Anyways, I just wanted to mention that whole thing about Nina and Drake's childhood...well, that's nearly exactly like mine. Except the guy is way more of a jerk than Drake!!! I don't think he'd give a fig if I died or not...Anyways, sorry about my rambling...This was just a bit an information chapter to get to know the characters better. (Well, mainly Drake, at least.) Augh! I'm rambling again!  
  
Please Review!!! Thank you! 


	7. Demon Trouble

Hey everyone! I'm really sorry these chapters have gone up so slowly!! I've been busy, and not very motivated to write. I'll try to finish the story before the end of the year!! That's my goal. Anyways, this story is already a year old, and I'm just now posting the 7th chapter. Quite pathetic, huh? Anyways, I'll try my hardest to write more this summer!!

Demon Trouble

Chapter 7

"Mokona!! Where are you?!" Drake called, panting. He had been looking for Mokona for 5 minutes, and couldn't find a sign of her anywhere. "I gotta find her. We have to get out of here..."

"Mokonaaa!!" Drake yelled again.

"Would you shut up?!" Mokona shrieked. Her voice came from up a tree.

"Mokona, get down here-"

"Quit looking up!" Mokona shrieked. "I'm only half-dressed."

"Mokona, we need to get out of here quick!!!" Drake said in a rough tone, looking to the side.

"You can wait a few seconds." Mokona replied. There were a few rustles, and Mokona jumped down.

"C'mon, we have to find the other girls and get out of here!" Drake said again. He grabbed Mokona's wrist and pulled her away.

"I can run on my own, you know!!" Mokona said, jerking her wrist from him.

"Well, you're being awfully slow." Drake replied, running ahead.

"I _can _keep up with you!!!" Mokona said in a sharp tone. She did keep up with him, too.

"There's Chihiro and Nina. Take Chihiro on your back, I'll take Nina on mine. They can't run fast enough." Drake announced. "Hey girls! Grab on!" Chihiro and Nina looked back, a bit confused, but then understood.

"Drake, exactly _what_ are we running from?!" Mokona asked.

"Some thugs the Shoto gang sent...there were at least 10 of them. They know we're here. I can handle 2 or 3, but not 10. And you guys, well...can't even handle one."

Mokona glared at Drake. "How would you know?! You shouldn't judge people like that who you don't even know!!!" Mokona shouted angrily. Chihiro felt Mokona tense up.

"Mokona, concentrate on running." Chihiro whispered. Mokona gritted her teeth and relaxed a little, but gave Drake a few icy glares once in a while.

After about 10 minutes, they slowed down so Drake and Mokona could rest. They began to walk, still in a forest. A wind picked up, and died down. Nina fell over, clutching her side.

There were suddenly ten demons surrounding them, with more appearing by the second.

"Crap, they caught up with us!!!" Drake yelled, as he ran over to check on Nina.

"No kidding!" Mokona shouted back. She began to get into a fighting stance, knowing no other choice. Chihiro did too, gripping her staff tightly.

Drake dragged Nina into their little circle. "Don't break this circle you guys!! Keep around Nina! We can't let them hurt her anymore!" Drake told them.

By now about 20 demons had appeared.

"We can't take them all out with regular fighting." Drake said.

"Then how are we going to take them out?!" Chihiro yelled, beginning to panic. But Drake didn't hear her, as he was surrounded by an aura of white light.

The demons looked at each other and snickered a bit. Drake opened his eyes. Where the black pupil was supposed to be there was now a white one. A ball of light formed in one hand, and Drake threw it at the nearest demon. There was a loud crack, and it was gone. The demons narrowed their eyes and sneered at them. Drake threw another ball at the next nearest demon, but before it could hit the demon disappeared. Drake threw his light balls at all the demons, but they all disappeared before they could hit.

"Drake, stop it! They're doing that on purpose!!" Nina yelled, clutching her side.

"I know! But if I don't do this they won't leave us alone."

Before Drake could get the last one, Mokona had already taken care of it.

Drake smirked at her as he fell over. His eyes turned back to normal, the aura gone.

"Drake!!" The girls yelled.

"Don't worry, I'm fine...just a bit exhausted, that's all." He said, smiling weakly. He laid his head back, breathing heavily.

"We have to nurse these two back to health." Mokona said.

Chihiro moved towards Nina. She moved her out of Drake's sight, so that Drake would not see Nina naked (Chihiro had to have Nina take her shirt off to tend to her wound on her side from the demons).

_Well, how are you supposed to tend to an exhausted person? _Mokona thought. She decided to make him more comfortable and start making some food.

She found a more comfortable place under a large tree and spread a blanket down. She made a temporary place for Drake, and walked over to Drake.

_Oh gosh, I hope he's really asleep!_ Mokona thought as she dragged Drake over, pressing him against her chest. She dropped him on the bed, and propped him against the tree trunk. Mokona started to make some soup, and Chihiro came back from tending Nina.

"Nina's resting now. I don't think she got much sleep last night." Chihiro mentioned.

"We'll have to go back to town tomorrow." Mokona said.

"Why?" Chihiro asked.

"We need to get more supplies. Food and stuff like that. And I don't think Nina will make it on this trip, she needs some good rest, but we can't stop searching, so we'll have to leave her behind." Mokona explained.

"What?! But where will she stay?" Chihiro asked.

"Her boyfriend lives in that town, so he'll gladly take care of her."

"She has a boyfriend?!" Chihiro yelled.

"Be quiet!! Yes, she has a boyfriend." Mokona replied, stiring the soup.

"Wow, I never knew. Why didn't she tell me?" Chihiro asked.

"Well, it wasn't something you necessarily _had_ to know about." Mokona answered, chuckling a bit. "Anyways, that's that: we're going into town tomorrow." Mokona added

* * *

Wow, the end of the chapter!! It's taken a month to finish this!! I'm very slow and unmotivated, and sort of facing a writer's block. I'm really sorry everyone!! And I'm sorry the chapter wasn't very eventful!! I hope somebody is still reading, thought. Wouldn't be surprised nor hurt if it turns out no ones is then. It's my fault the story's so slow!! Wai!! Talking too much again. Well, I'll leave you with my last two usual words.

**Please Review!!**


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